The technology of the present disclosure relates to an illumination device and an image reading device including the same.
In the related art, there has been known an image reading device that illuminates linear light toward a document placed on a document table and leads reflected light to a photoelectric conversion unit (for example, a CCD sensor) via a mirror and the like, thereby reading an image of the document.
In this type of image reading device, there has been proposed an illumination device using a light emitting diode and a rod-like light guide member in order to generate linear light. One end part of the light guide member faces the light emitting diode. The light guide member is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof with a light emitting part extending in a longitudinal direction of the light guide member. Light emitted from the light emitting diode is diffused to the whole area in the longitudinal direction by the light guide member, and is emitted from the light emitting part as linear light.
As a molding method of the light guide member, there has been known a method in which a mold is divided into a plurality of (for example, four) molds in a circumferential direction when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the light guide member and each split mold is radially opened/closed in a radial direction.